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Manistee man shot, killed by police officer

Manistee Police Department

A Manistee Police officer shot and killed a man Tuesday night. Police say 73-year-old Lee Milks threatened the officer with an assault rifle before he was shot multiple times.

Manistee Police are not identifying the officer who shot Milks. Chief David Bachman says the officer was conducting “blight enforcement” on 2nd Street, when he saw an old bus parked in Milks’ backyard.

“He made contact with the owner of the bus and asked to take a look at it," says Bachman. "The guy said ‘sure’ and went back in his house and came back out with a rifle.”

Bachman says Milks told the officer to leave his property while he chambered a round in the AK-47-style rifle. The officer fired multiple shots. Milks was treated by paramedics, but died on a helicopter en route to a trauma center.

Bachman says the officer has been placed on administrative leave.

“It’s a life-changing event when you engage someone and you take someone’s life, so we take very good care and make sure he’s in the right mental state to come back to work," he says.

Michigan State Police are investigating the shooting. Bachman says this is the first officer-involved shooting he’s seen in 19 years with the Manistee Police Department.